What if Richard Dawkins, in a public lecture in Singapore, had said exactly what Pastor Rony Tan had said about reincarnation, karma, and Buddhism? What if it made its rounds in cyberspace and YouTube? Would the Internal Security Department have given him a phone call? Would he have transgressed the The Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act (1992)?
Restraining orders against officials or members of religious group or institution
8. —(1) The Minister may make a restraining order against any priest, monk, pastor, imam, elder, office-bearer or any other person who is in a position of authority in any religious group or institution or any member thereof for the purposes specified in subsection (2) where the Minister is satisfied that that person has committed or is attempting to commit any of the following acts:
(a) causing feelings of enmity, hatred, ill-will or hostility between different religious groups;
(b) carrying out activities to promote a political cause, or a cause of any political party while, or under the guise of, propagating or practising any religious belief;
(c) carrying out subversive activities under the guise of propagating or practising any religious belief; or
(d) exciting disaffection against the President or the Government while, or under the guise of, propagating or practising any religious belief.
The answer would be in the negative because he is not “in a position of authority in any religious group or institution or any member thereof” unless Atheism has become a new religion of the masses. Would he be liable by law to any other charge from the Singapore law code?
And what if he had said something incendiary about Christianity like what he wrote in his book:
“”The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”
Will he draw angry knee jerk reactions from red-faced Christians? I am sure there are those who will give him an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. The majority will just shrug it aside. Some would invite him to a debate. Which was what happened and you can watch it in Richard Dawkins-John Lennox Debate. It is wonderful when intelligent civil discussions can take place in a meaningful way over controversial, volatile issues.
Hopefully one day the issues raised by the Pastor Rony Tan’s webcast on Buddhism and homosexuality can be intellectually dissected and discussed and everybody, Christians and Buddhists and gays, can get enlightened in the process, or at least have their say.
I know this from experience. I was climbing Mt Batur in Bali with some trekkies a few years back and we were all just conversing in the hotel room’s front porch when suddenly two persons in their mid fifties sort of “found” each other and realized they were both ex-ACS, and they both broke off spontaneously into the ACS school anthem, and they knew the words by heart. I was stunned and looked curiously for there before me was the “it” in manifestation. The “spirit” had take control of the subjects’ vocal chords and sung. I can’t remember the lyrics, not even the tune of my school song. Even if I did, I wouldn’t be caught singing it as an adult in front of other adults. To me, it was so uncool to be doing that, but they were doing it. I really had a good laugh and rubbed it in and they took it sportingly.
the risk of a suspect reputation. Makansutra calls it paradise. From herbal tonics, and foods fabled as aphrosidiacs, to common street hawker fare, these restaurants open till the hours of morn. There are also the shopping emporiums, 24 hours convenience stores, and the fruit shops laden with durians that defy season.
The irony is that side by side with the immoral are literally hundreds of civic and community groups, associations, churches, temples, and mosques. I take that back: maybe its not such an irony! Anyway, Geylang is a very religious place. The scents of incense, the colour green and red appear like a recurring theme. The church I grew up in and am now serving as the senior pastor is ten minutes away from where the red-light diestrict is. Its nearer to the HDB flats and the national library branch. Our next-door neighbours are private residential apartments, a condominium, a church and the Youth for Christ shared facility, and two famous temples.
As it turns out, bad publicity is better than no publicity. Now and a decade down the road we will all still remember this Ms World Singapore. “Ms Ris Low? Oh of course I remember. The beauty with boomz right?” Besides her, maybe only Ms Eunice Olsen and Ms Teo Ser Luck will be remembered.
Ris Low, 19, has been attracting catty comments, even from men, about her broken English, err, Singlish, after she competed in the interview segment of the Miss Singapore World contest and won it. It has also been discovered that she had a criminal record for a credit card fraud and is still on probation. Furthermore, today the national paper revealed she also suffers from bipolar disorder(maic depressive) and is under psychiatric care and medication. Netizens have been baying for her blood, demanding that she give up the crown because she is not a worthy representative of Singapore to the Miss World contest in December 2009.
The picture is reversed when it comes to the Singapore men. I came from the no-frills generation where neat, nice and smelling Lux fresh is all we can afford. Not so this generation of a large well off middle-class. Self awareness has risen together with parents’ income. Expenditure on grooming products and information have also increased. Things are different with the new generation and change is in the air. Yet, more can be done and every Singapore man still needs grooming. We spend fifteen years or more in formal education so we can get a job. Two years in National Service to be in the nation’s reserve fighting force. At least six months to get a driving license. So why not attend some kind of workshop on grooming as a small step towards becoming a gentleman.
centred to one who is Christ- and other- centric. However, why shouldn’t such a fix up be holistic and include graciousness, courteous consideration of others, looking pleasant(even attractive), and having good manners and culture, and a keener awareness of a woman’s psyche. Admittedly, to gain a good working knowledge of such require some pursuit and commitment of resources and time. How about beginning with a Saturday afternoon workshop, which will save you from having to read a book, and it will be more fun anyway. As you probably suspect by now, I am plugging for one of my church’s programs (Sat, 17th Oct 2009) organized by the young adults. More information 
Religion and politics: are they a good mix? Depends on how mixed they are: like Indian rojak (ingredients are separate from and dipped into the gravy in bowl when necessary) or Chinese rojak (prawn paste all well-mixed with ingredients).
